Professor Hollywood Memorial Cup 2015

Wed, 5th August 2015

Anthony Daly and Charlie Redmond on opposite sides for GAA Match

At 5pm on the 8^th of August two GAA legends will take to the pitch in Parnell Park to battle it out in the name of charity at the Professor Hollywood Memorial Cup. At this annual event Anthony Daly will be managing the St. James’s team and Charlie Redmond will manage the St. Luke’s team. Their teams will be made up of players who have all received treatment for cancer and who want to show others that there is Life After Cancer.

The Professor Hollywood Memorial Cup was set up in 2014 to help raise awareness that there can be Life After Cancer and that people can recover from this disease. It also raises funds for the cancer units in St. James’s and St. Luke’s hospitals. This is the second year that the two teams have battled it out for the Professor Hollywood Memorial Cup. In May 2014 Brian Cody and Mick O’Dwyer managed the teams in O’Moore Park and it raised a total of €44,300 for the cancer units.

There will be players from all over the country and a number of well-known faces will be playing in Parnell Park on the 8^th of August. Alan Nestor (Meath), Noel McGrath (Tipperary), Joe Deane (Cork), John McGrath (Wicklow), Daragh McEvoy (Laois), Derek Shevlin (Louth),Jason Hughes (Monaghan),Aiden Watters(Cavan), Ronan Rocks(Derry) Ronan Hamil(Antrim) Eoin Kearns(Laois) and many others. All of these players have received treatment for cancer.

Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh will be returning this year to commentate on the game. Mícheál has stated that “Every player on the field, they are already winners. They have many honours as sportsmen but their greatest honour is that they have battled courageously against the disease of cancer.”

John McGrath (Wicklow and St. James’s) spoke of the event “It is such an honour to play with these guys. There is a shared understanding between the players about what we have been through and what it takes to be on that pitch playing that match. I was diagnosed in February 2011 with Leukaemia and I am back to full health again. Staying positive is so important and that is why I wanted to take part in this event to help spread the positive message that you can get your fitness and life back after cancer. “

GAA PERSONALITIES LENDING THEIR SUPPORT TO THE EVENT:

Liam O'Neill, Micheal O'Muircheartaigh, Charlie Redmond,Anthony Daly,Sean Boylan, Dermot Earley,Brian Gavin(Referee), Micheal Duignan, Barney Rock,Paddy Cullen

The match will take place at 5pm in Parnell Park on the 8^th of August. Tickets are €7 and they can be bought here https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/professor-hollywood-memorial-cup-2015-tickets-17642428980 Or at the gate on the day. If you cannot attend but would still like to offer your support you can donate €4 by texting MATCH to 50300

A six minute video with nearly 12,000 views was produced to capture the essence of the 2014 event and it can be viewed here https://youtu.be/lDusLKat8Z0

For further information, contact charitymatchmay2014@gmail.com or Gráinne Lambert phone 086 3739720

Facebook www.facebook.com/charitygaamatch

Twitter: @GAAMatch #LifeAfterCancer

About the Organiser:

Richard Poole received treatment for cancer of the salivary glands in both St. Luke’s and St. James’s hospitals. He is very active in Laois GAA and wanted to show people that you could still be fit and active while receiving treatment. Richard and his family wanted to raise money for both hospitals as a way of saying thank you. Richard was very saddened to hear of Professor Hollywood’s death and wanted to do something to pay tribute to this “hero”. This match trophy will be dedicated to Professor Hollywood.

About Professor Hollywood:

The match trophy will be dedicated to Professor Donal Hollywood. Professor Hollywood was one of the country's leading oncologists and he lost his own short battle with cancer at the age of 53. His clinical practice was in St Luke's and St James's hospitals in Dublin. Professor Hollywood worked tirelessly throughout his career to save so many lives and his death has impacted on so many people.

Match details:

Date & Time: 8^th August 2015 5pm

Location: Parnell Park, Dublin

Tickets: €7 & under 12’s are free. Tickets can be bought on the day or https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/professor-hollywood-memorial-cup-2015-tickets-17642428980

Donations: €4 text MATCH to 50300